Day: May 16, 2016

Editor: This is another copy of testimony submitted in response to my offer to post testimony that readers have sent, or are sending, to the US State Department before May 19th. Your testimony can be long or short, more detailed or less so. Just send something! And, then be sure to copy it to your elected officials.

I’m sure readers will agree with most of what Mark says….even if you don’t agree with his primary reason!

To Whom It May Concern:

As a citizen of the United States of America, I am writing to give input on the FY 2017 U.S. Refugee Admission Program.

I strongly object to the Program’s pattern of admitting people from countries with languages, cultures and religions that are completely at odds to the current and predominant American language, cultures and religions.

What is being done to the North African, Middle Eastern, and Asian refugees in bringing them to the USA is INHUMANE! The lifestyle in which they are used to living is so radically different from the lifestyles that dominate the American scene. They are being traumatized unnecessarily!

As a clinical social worker, I do therapy with people who have been traumatized by various events. I see and hear the hurt and anguish that they experience on a daily basis. It is not fair to the refugees to bring them to a country that is so foreign to their way of life.

Why is the Federal Government and the various Federal contractors continuing to torture these poor refugees by forcing them into such a radically different environment after they have already experienced such trauma by having to leave their homes and peoples?

Why aren’t these desperate refugees being relocated in countries that are similar to the ones which they are fleeing?

If they come from somewhere in North Africa, surely there is another location in North Africa that is relatively peaceful. If they are fleeing from a region in Asia, surely there is another part of Asia that is not under such strife where they can be easily resettled.

We are now reading about refugees who are asking to return to their homelands because they have not been able to adjust to the European or American environments in which they have been placed. In Europe, some countries have even started paying for their return trips home! What an unnecessary waste of limited financial resources! Don’t bring them to such foreign places in the beginning!

We must avoid such unnecessary trauma on these already devastated adults and children.

I am particularly concerned about the Muslim refugees being exposed to the inherent racism and Islamophobia of American culture, as noted by the Obama administration. Why are these individuals being placed in such dangerous circumstances? Shouldn’t they be placed in predominantly Muslim countries where they will be able to easily assimilate and where they will not be in danger from Islamophobes?

In conclusion, as a clinical social worker I am writing out of concern for the refugees who are already traumatized within their own homelands who are being subjected to further trauma by being forced to relocate in a country that is so completely different from their country of origin. This is all so completely unnecessary! This is all so UNFAIR! Please do not bring any more refugees to the racist and Islamophobic USA! Resettle the refugees in another country that is as close as possible to their current language, culture, and religion. By doing so, you will be helping to preserve what little sanity these traumatized refugees retain and helping them start on the road to healing within a generation.

Thank you for listening.

In the spirit of compassion for the refugees,

By the way, because there are refugees who come to America who subsequently become very disillusioned, we have proposed a ‘repatriation fund’ which would pay their airfare back to their home country. In most cases refugees are trapped here because they simply can’t afford the return ticket.

‘Islamophobia’ is a genuine fear based on copious evidence coming to us from all corners of the world.

This is the eighth testimony in our series leading up to the deadline for testimony on May 19th. Go here for where they are archived. We are posting as many as we can because we know the US State Department has refused in the past to make them public (so much for Obama transparency!).

“Some say it’s because of insecurity, but others rationalize their departure due to rampant unemployment,” the head of Somalia’s immigration and naturalization department, Abdullahi Gafow Mohamud, said in an interview.

That’s the case for Ali Hassan Abdi, who graduated from university two years ago and hasn’t found a job. The 25-year-old says endemic graft — Somalia is ranked joint-bottom with North Korea on Berlin-based Transparency International’s global Corruption Perceptions Index of 168 countries — is “the number-one cause of mass migration.”

So tell us again why we need to be moving the population of Somalia to the American heartland?

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Raheem Kassam writing at Breitbart London reported a very edifying bit of information yesterday, namely that Syrians are not all running from war (they really want a good and free education for their kids), and that the Gulf states are taking not a one of them (we knew that!).

“Most of the seven billion opinions on the internet are very ill informed….”

I would love to spend some time on this story, but you will have to read it for yourselves.

Besides his two important revelations, according to reporter Kassam, the UN official bemoans the fact that through the internet you can get too many differing views of what is going on and claims the media has shirked its role of educating the ignorant masses!

I read this to mean that no longer can the UN gets its propaganda planted and disseminated so that your minds will be made right on the subject of refugees and migration generally!

Like this:

….And, if so, have they shared the document with the general public, the taxpaying citizens?

Dear readers, do not be deterred by the length of this post—this is some of the most important information you need to know if you are in a target community!

In Refugee industry parlance, it is called an “R & P Abstract” and every town that will be ‘welcoming’ refugees for FY2017 has prepared one, or is in the process of preparing one, to be sent to Washington.

It will be the document on which their federal funding will be based!

And, here is the kicker—I will bet a buck that most elected officials (let alone the citizens!) in the targeted towns have never seen the Abstract which lays out the plan in great detail. It tells how many refugees are coming and from where. It tells what amenities your town is offering by way of medical care, subsidized housing, schools for the kids and where the refugees might find employment.

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve originally had concerns about refugee seeding in Reno, but according to the refugee resettlement contractor’s report to Washington, she is now on board.

It has been our contention ever since we became aware of these closely held documents that citizens are entitled to know what the resettlement contractor is offering up in their cities and towns.

After I wrote about yet another new resettlement site the other day—Reno, Nevada—I came across the R & P Abstract that has apparently been in the possession (since at least last November) of a reporter who is on the side of MORE refugees to Nevada.

If you live in Reno, or its surrounding communities, and have concerns, you should go to the mayor and ask her to produce the R & P Abstract drafted by the Northern Nevada International Center (NNIC) which will be working as a subcontractor for the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). Ask her to hold a public hearing on it!

If NNIC was giving its “proprietary document”to friendly reporters back in November, surely the citizens of Reno are entitled to see it! Again, I will bet the mayor and other elected officials in Reno have not seen the plan for their city!

[Pay attention citizens of Rutland, VT, there is a document just like this one for your city too! It lays out what your town is offering the refugees!]

Here (below) is a screenshot of the front page of the Reno document. The abbreviations for where the FIRST 75 refugees for Reno will come from are as follows: AF (Africa), EA (East Asia), ECA (Europe and Central Asia), LAC (Latin America/Caribbean), NE/SA (Near East/South Asia). Tie capacity indicates whether they have any relatives in the area.

Page 2 of the 16-page documentlists the following countries from which they will come: Colombia, Cuba, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Iraq, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Syria.

Here is some of the text, just to give you an idea of the detail involved in R & P Abstracts (this one is 16 pages long!):

Health Care Access and Refugees with Special Needs:

The Northern Nevada International Center (NNIC) will be able to accommodate refugees with special needs through the wide range of services available in Reno and Sparks. Housing for families with over 8 members may be difficult to secure. Wheelchair-accessible housing is available, but such housing would require additional time to access. Although Reno is home to many free and low-cost clinics and health resources, NNIC will need additional time to ensure that timely and culturally appropriate mental health services are available before accepting clients with serious mental health conditions.

Public Outreach:

NNIC has a long history of collaborating with local, county and state officials through its public diplomacy, language services, and educational outreach programs. NNIC serves as the link for community members interested in international affairs and programs, and assists visitors and newcomers to the community. The City of Reno Mayor,Hillary Schieve, as well as the City Manager’s Office, are supportive of NNIC’s efforts to establish a refugee resettlement program. NNIC has also consulted with the Washoe County School District, the Washoe County Health Department, and other local service providers,and all have enthusiastically supported NNIC’s application to become a resettlement affiliate. NNIC also has the full support of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Employment Services:

The Reno-Sparks economy is well known for its hospitality and leisure sector, with seven large casino-hotels employing 9,500-13,000 people. It is also home to the University of Nevada, the single largest employer in the county (after the school district), employing over 4,500 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs). The Truckee Meadows Community College also employs 1,250 educators and staff. Two major hospitals (Renown and St Mary’s) and other large healthcare providers in the areas employ over 3,500 healthcare professionals, technicians, and staff. The location – four hours by highway to San Francisco, and seven hours to Salt Lake City – is also logistics hub, hosting many warehousing and fulfillment establishments including UPS (1,000 employees), and Amazon.com (650 employees). Tesla is slated to open its “Gigafactory” outside of Sparks in 2017. By 2020, the Gigafactory will be at full capacity, employing 6,500 FTEs and producing more lithium ion batteries annually (for electric cars, for example) than were produced worldwide in 2013.

Housing

Average apartment rental prices in Reno are very affordable, and well maintained units are readily available. NNIC has worked with Board members and University contacts to build relationships with area property managers. Housing will be sought primarily (but not exclusively) in areas where the school district has established ESL for newcomer and intake centers. Two middle schools and three high schools are currently designated to assist immigrant children to more easily phase into regular classes. The Reno Housing Authority (RHA) provides affordable housing to clients in seven different locations in Reno and Sparks. Public housing units are available for both singles and families and the majority are handicapped accessible.

Here is a page indicating the tiny bit of private money that NNIC is offering up for its share of the supposed public/private partnership. It is offering $133 per refugee and that includes volunteer hours counted as cash!

Then get this, there are many letters of support attached, but the one that caught my eye was this one from the Northern Nevada Muslim Community. So, why is their endorsement so important?

So, for citizens who might be forming a ‘Pocket of Resistance’ in Reno,first call the mayor, Hillary Schieve, and ask her to produce (for the public) the FY 2017 R & P Abstract for Reno.

Then if you live in Nevada and want to tap into the national ‘Pocket of Resistance’ movement, write to me at refugeewatcher@gmail.com and put ‘Reno’ in the subject line so I can find your e-mail in my messy inbox. I will put you in touch with leaders of the national movement.

For our readers nationwide, keep hammering your local refugee offices (click here) for these R & P Abstracts—clearly they aren’t so secret if they are in the hands of friendly reporters! (By the way, R & P stands for Reception and Placement.)

If they turn you down be sure to complain to your elected officials in Washington—make them do some work!—even if you think they are useless! Tell them this is your money and they are changing your community and you have a right to know what the plans are!